Wider Circle, a nationwide community-powered health organization, announced a new partnership with CalOptima Health to improve outcomes for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid members in California. Supported by a grant from the California Health Care Foundation, the program with CalOptima Health will connect its Medicare Advantage Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) through peer-driven circles that help individuals access…

Georgia has fined 11 health insurers for violations of the state’s mental health parity laws, issuing penalties totaling nearly $25 million. The fines, announced January 12, 2026, followed market conduct examinations conducted by the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (OCI). The largest fine—more than $10.2 million—was levied against Oscar Health Plan of Georgia.…

Spring Health, a global mental health platform for employers and health plans, announced an agreement to acquire Alma, a membership-based platform that helps independent mental health professionals accept insurance. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Alma’s platform enables clinical…

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the launch of the Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP), a statewide health plan to ensure access to comprehensive physical and mental health services for Medicaid-enrolled children, youth, and young adults currently and formerly served by the child welfare system. With approval from, and at…

Negotiated reimbursement rates vary substantially across all American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Levels of Care for facility-based services—even after standardizing codes and removing outliers, according to a recent analysis released by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP). The variation in reimbursement rates existed within and across payer networks, reflecting a fragmented and inequitable reimbursement…

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) extended five of its six Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) contracts for the Healthy Louisiana program through December 31, 2026, at a cost of more than $17 billion. The five plans with a full-year extension are Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Humana Healthy Horizons…

During the 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP), more than 22.8 million consumers signed up for health insurance coverage since November 1, 2025, according to a January 12, 2026, announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The number of enrollments was at least 1.2 million lower than the more than 24 million…

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the New York State Psychiatric Association sued New York-based health insurer EmblemHealth Inc. and EmblemHealth Plan, Inc. over its inaccurate directory of in-network mental health professionals. The complaint characterized this practice as presenting a “ghost network.” The complaint was filed on behalf of APA members and a proposed class…

Idaho Medicaid cut selected behavioral health services for people with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) as part of an effort to help the state avoid a budget deficit. The programs serve nearly 5,500 people with SPMI, according to the Idaho Association Of Community Providers (IACP). The programs include assertive community treatment (ACT), high acuity…